Police gangland documents surface after probe

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The police and the State Government are caught out by
the ombudsman over corruption.

Documents the State Government claimed did not exist show the
office of Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Christine Nixon
provided answers for parliamentary questions on gangland killings
and police corruption for former police minister Andre
Haermeyer.

The documents, which Victorian Ombudsman George Brouwer recently
told the Government to release, show Ms Nixon's office drafted a
response for Mr Haermeyer to use in Parliament regarding links
between police under investigation by the Ceja taskforce looking at
police corruption and the Purana taskforce's probe into Melbourne's
underworld murders.

The answer was prepared after Deputy Police Commissioner Peter
Nancarrow admitted that there could be links between corrupt police
and underworld figures in May last year.

Ms Nixon's office also prepared an answer for another "possible
parliamentary question" for Mr Haermeyer regarding the Australian
Crime Commission's involvement in combating organised crime in
Victoria.

Mr Haermeyer was last month demoted in a cabinet reshuffle.

Mr Brouwer recommended the release of the documents after a
complaint from The Age regarding the Department of
Justice's response to a freedom of information request.

The department last year said it could not find any documents to
meet The Age's request for all correspondence between the
private offices of Mr Haermeyer and Ms Nixon regarding the
operations of the Ceja and Purana taskforces between January and
May 25, 2004.

During that time there were murders of informers, underworld
figures, and threats to police officers investigating
corruption.

Asked at the time why there was no evidence of correspondence
between his and Ms Nixon's offices, Mr Haermeyer said that he
received "oral briefings" only from senior police on such sensitive
issues. He was also confident the department had conducted a
thorough search of his office for documents.

But investigators from the Ombudsman's office concluded the
department had applied a too narrow description to The Age
FOI request.

The documents reveal email exchanges between staff members of
the two private offices. "Here is the dot points on the Purana
issues and . . . Briefing Paper. Let me know if it is OK," wrote a
member of Ms Nixon's office in one email.

Another email details how the material had been "amended and
approved" by a Victoria Police assistant commissioner.

The briefing paper sent to Mr Haermeyer's office encouraged him
to say the State Government "recognises the results achieved to
date by the Victoria Police and the Operation Purana
investigations".

Opposition Leader Robert Doyle said the Government had abused
its power and acted undemocratically by pretending documents did
not exist when it was clear they did. Mr Doyle was concerned about
a minister having material drafted for him by staff of the police
chief.

"This intimate connection between the highest levels of police
command and Labor ministers illustrates a total misunderstanding of
the separation of powers," Mr Doyle said.

A spokeswoman for Mr Haermeyer said the minister, now
responsible for the small business and manufacturing portfolios,
was disappointed the initial search by the department could not
find any correspondence. She said it was standard procedure for
departments and agencies to prepare material for ministers so they
went into Parliament with accurate information.

A Victoria Police spokesman also said it was common practice to
provide factual information for ministers for use in
Parliament.